India were trailing by 55 runs in the first innings with eight wickets in hand after bowling Sri Lanka out for 183 at Galle in the first Test of the three-match series. While the Indian pacers extracted bounce from the wicket to claim the SL openers, Ravichandran Ashwin claimed six for 46 as he wrecked the host’s line-up to bag his 11th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. In reply Shikhar Dhawan (53*) and Virat Kohli (45*) had helped India to 128 for two until stumps after losing KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma early in the innings. Coming into the team in place of the injured Murali Vijay, Rahul opened the innings with Dhawan but was back in the dressing room for seven, adjudged lbw to Dhammika Prasad. 14 runs later, Rohit Sharma followed him back to the pavilion. Having survived an lbw appeal while on eight off a no-ball by Prasad, he was out leg-before wicket to Angelo Mathews for nine. With the team struggling on 28 for two, Virat Kohli joined Shikhar Dhawan in building the Indian innings. With risky running between the wickets and edges flying, the opener scrapped together his half-century while the captain watchfully built his innings. Scoring at a steady pace the pair kept India in an advantageous position. Their partnership was unbroken on 100 at the end of day’s play. Earlier, Ishant Sharma and Varun Aaron claimed an opener each with the new ball to leave SL on 15 for two in the first eight overs of the day after Mathews elected to bat. Ashwin then accounted for Kumar Sangakkara and picked two more in the first session and had put India in a commanding position in the first quarter of the day. Ishant bounced Dimuth Karunaratne and had him caught at gully by Ajinkya Rahane while Kaushal Silva too was done in by a short delivery by Aaron in the next.

Dropped earlier by Dhawan at first slip after cutting Aaron to the fence, the opener had managed to add only one run to his total before he was done in by the bounce once again. Afforded a second chance, the fielder pulled off a good diving catch in the slips. Playing in the penultimate Test match of his expansive career Kumar Sangakkara joined Lahiru Thirimanne at the crease mid-way through the session. However, the former SL captain was sent back by Ashwin for just five. Rahul took a catch close to the ground at silly point as the left-handed batsman looked to nudge the ball through the cover to leave the home team on 27 for three.

Mathews then looked to rebuild the innings with Thirimanne but the stand was ended a bit before lunch for 27 by Ashwin. The off-spinner forced a nick through to the slips and Ajinkya Rahane gliding to his left, took a low catch. In his next over Ashwin had Jehan Mubarak caught by Rahul at short-leg at the stroke of Lunch.

The SL captain then took his team to Lunch at 65 for five with Dinesh Chandimal. India would have had Chandimal back in the pavilion in the second over of the afternoon session had Wriddhiman Saha held on to the catch after Ishant forced an edge from the batsman. Having survived on five, the middle-order batsman settled down to partner his captain in repairing the damage. While the rest of the batsmen had looked shaky, Mathews looked in good nick as he patiently negotiated the Indian attack. He sent Ishant racing to the fence twice in an over showing intent while Chandimal bided his time at the crease. The pair kept the scoreboard moving with singles at an unhurried pace and found the occasional boundary. Shouldering the responsibility of rebuilding the innings, Mathews took his team past the three-figure mark en route to his half-century. However, Ashwin once again ensured that India maintained the upper-hand by ending the blossoming partnership 79. Complemented by Rohit’s brilliant piece of fielding at short-leg the spinner had sent back the SL captain for 64. The fielder took a diving one-handed catch after the ball took the edge off the bat and on to the pad to give Ashwin his fourth wicket of the innings. Chandimal slammed Aaron for four boundaries in the next over, but Ashwin pushed the opposition further back by trapping Prasad lbw in his next.

With Rangana Herath smacking the spinners to the ropes, SL added 24 for the eighth wicket until Amit Mishra struck. The leg-spinner forced an edge from Chandimal to the slips where Rahane took the catch and then had Tharindu Kaushal hand a catch to Rohit at short-leg. Ashwin then wrapped up the SL innings by toppling Herath’s bails at the stroke of Tea. End of Day 1: SL 1st inn 183 all out in 49.4 overs (A Mathew 64, D Chandimal 59, R Ashwin 6/46, A Mishra 2/20); Ind 1st inn 128/2 in 34 overs (S Dhawan 53*, V Kohli 45*, A Mathews 1/12, D Prasad 1/22)